The Unicorn and the Wolf
by Jennifer Allen
Summary: With Hagrid off on important business, a new Care of Magical Creatures is needed., a former classmate of Sirius and Remus.
1. Return to Hogwarts

The Unicorn and the Wolf  
by Jennifer Allen  
  
"Return to Hogwarts"  
  
It had been 18 long years since she had graduated from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She was from the infamous class of 1978. She graduated with the likes of James Potter, Sirius Black, Lily Evans, Severus Snape and Remus Lupin.   
Artemis Southerby was 35-years-old and looked young for her age. She had long sandy-blonde hair that was twisted into a messy bun. Her deep blue eyes took in the entire school. Black banners still hung on the walls of the great hall, reminders of the tragic death of Hogwarts student Cedric Diggory. With the regeneration of Voldemort, the magical community was becoming more nervous and edgy.   
She had been extremely surprised to see an owl arrive a week ago carrying a letter from Albus Dumbledore asking her to come to Hogwarts to teach. Teacher? That came as a shock to her. The letter explained that the current Care of Magical Creatures teacher, Rubeus Hagrid, was off on important business and the position needed to be filled. She had a lot of experience with magical creatures. She spent most of her life researching various creatures and had two long-running popular feature stories in the Daily Prophet based on the lives of Unicorns and Hippogriffs. She guessed that was one of the reasons why she was invited by Dumbledore to teach at Hogwarts.  
The other reason was Voldemort. She had a little run-in with the dark wizard a year out of Hogwarts. She nearly lost her life. James Potter and his friends rescued her.   
She escaped, but Voldemort had the last laugh. She could never have children again. She had hid herself in Hogwarts' Infirmary for a week, crying and wishing she were dead. She couldn't stand it. He dream of having a family was ruined. She disappeared from the wizarding world. Hiding from everyone, even the one she loved. It wasn't until the tragic deaths of Lily and James Potter that she returned. Her heart broke when she watched their bodies being laid to rest. Lily was a very good friend of hers and James...she owed her life to James. She couldn't bare to look at anyone. Somehow she felt responsible. Maybe if she had joined Voldemort, Lily and James would still be alive. But maybe she might have ended up being the one to kill them. At least their son, Harry was still alive. He somehow stopped Voldemort when no one else could. Harry...was he the light of hope?  
  
She strolled down the hall towards Dumbledore's office. The gargoyle was already aside and she could hear someone arguing with Professor Dumbledore.  
"YOU CAN'T LET HIM COME BACK!"  
"Calm down, Severus. Have a lemon drop."  
"I WILL NOT CALM DOWN! YOU CAN'T LET HIM COME BACK HERE! HE'S DANGEROUS!"  
"Nonsense."  
"HOW CAN YOU NOT SEE..."  
"Oh my," Dumbledore interrupted, "it looks like our new professor has arrived."  
Artemis could see Dumbledore and Snape. Snape hadn't changed much since she had left. He still had the patented Snape Scowl. His eyes softened a touch when he saw her.  
"Morning, Professor Dumbledore. Professor Snape," she acknowledged.  
"Artemis, so glad you could make it."  
"Artemis?"  
She gave them a small smile and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She was extremely nervous as she entered Dumbledore's office. Fawkes bobbed his head in her direction as she entered, making her smile.   
"You're looking healthy, Fawkes."  
"I'll take my leave, Dumbledore," snarled Snape. "But don't expect me to be warm and friendly to him. Artemis."  
She watched Snape leave. "He hasn't changed much."  
"Yes. Severus is a little cranky over the Defense Against Dark Arts position going to someone other than himself."  
Fawkes let out a melodic cry and began primping his beautiful fiery feathers.  
"Sir, why exactly did you ask me to teach here? I'm not exactly a professor."  
"Nonsense. I think you would make an excellent teacher."  
"It has to do with You-Know-Who, doesn't it," she asked. "I really don't need protection."  
"Of course you don't," he replied. "But a certain student will appreciate having a family   
friend as a teacher."  
"You don't mean..."  
"Harry Potter."  
  
She found her way to the staff quarters fairly easy. A painting of a woman sitting at a desk protected the hidden entrance.  
"Angel's Dust."  
The painting swung aside, letting her enter the room. She quickly found her room and began unpacking. A worn copy of Care and Identification of Magical Creatures was placed upon the nightstand next to the bed. She magicked her clothes and robes into the closet. A knock on the door interrupted her unpacking.  
"Come in," she replied. "Professor McGonagall!"  
"I'm glad to see you're in good health," smiled McGonagall. "I thought you would like to know that we have to meet down in the great hall in an hour. The Sorting will begin 30 minutes after we meet, then Dumbledore's message and finally dinner."  
"Thank you, Professor McGonagall."  
"Artemis, please call me Minerva. We're working together now and it feels quite awkward hearing 'Professor' from another teacher."  
"Okay, Pro...er...Minerva. Thank you."   
Artemis smiled as she watched Minerva leave. She wondered if she was still as strict as she was during her years at Hogwarts. Not dwelling on the thought any longer, Artemis quickly finished unpacking, placed her trunk at the end of her bed and changed out of her travelling robes and into her new ones. With ten minutes to spare, she made her way down to the great hall to meet with the other teachers and more importantly, get a look at her students.  
  
Students filed into the hall and sat at their designated tables: Hufflepuff, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Gryffindor. Artemis found herself sitting next to the right of Severus and to the left of an empty seat.  
"Our DADA teacher hasn't arrived yet," explained Minerva.   
Artemis nodded and watched as more students enter. She watched as a girl with bushy brown hair talking to a girl with bright red hair sat down at the Gryffindor table. Two boys, a redhead and Harry Potter, followed the girls to the table.   
She felt her eyes begin to water as she stared at him. He looked just like his father but had his mother's eyes. He was talking to the redhead animatedly, probably about Quiddich.   
Severus let out an angry snort as he watched Harry sit next to his friends. It was common knowledge that Severus hated Harry's father. A prank had almost gone out of hand and James, having second thoughts, saved Severus.  
She watched as the old Sorting Hat was brought out and placed upon a stool at the center of the hall. Minerva McGonagall led all the first-years into the room and the Sorting began.   
Her mind wandered to the day she was first sorted. I She was just a scared 10-year-old who had never heard of wizardry until the day she got her letter. She listened as each name was called and each new student was sorted into a House according to his or her strengths. She was right behind Severus when he was called and the hat was placed on his head. The hat screamed 'Slytherin' and Severus tried to remove the hat. It didn't come off. He screamed and screamed and pulled and pulled but it remained in place. She began to scream too because she was next. Professor McGonagall was so angry when she and the other teachers removed the spell. Severus joined his table, but not before glaring at a group of first-year boys, whom she soon came to know as the Marauders. Artemis had to be constantly reassured that the hat was not going to eat her when her name was called. 'Gryffindor,' the hat called. She had been sorted into the same House as the Marauders./i  
McGonagall retrieving the hat and taking the stool into another room interrupted her memories. Professor Dumbledore then spoke, informing the new students about Hogwarts' rules, including the "don't go into the Forbidden Forest" speech.   
"For those of you who don't know, Hagrid won't be teaching this year."  
A cheer erupted from the Slytherin table.  
"I would like to introduce..." A young man with messy brown hair with a few small gray streaks and wearing tattered robes with patches made his way to the table.. "Ah, Professor Lupin, I'm so glad you made it."  
Artemis stared in shock. 'Remus? Remus was here?'  
"As I was saying, you have a new Care of Magical Creatures teacher. I would like you all to give Professor Artemis Southerby the same consideration you give Hagrid."  
A snort echoed from the Slytherin table. Artemis couldn't take her eyes off of Remus. He looked as handsome as when she last saw him. He looked a little tired, some dark circles under his stormy eyes. His gaze met hers before he moved across the staff table and sat in the empty seat next to hers. She heard Severus let out an angry snort and glare at Remus before digging into dinner. She felt even more nervous than before. It was going to be a very interesting school year.  
  
The tables were cleared and the students trudged to their Houses to get a good night's sleep before their first day tomorrow. Artemis stifled a yawn and watched the Gryffindor children climb the stairs to their rooms. She missed those days of innocence. Severus was speaking to her and startled her out of her thoughts.  
"What? Oh, I'm sorry, Severus. I wasn't paying attention."  
"I made a potion to help you sleep. It's in my office. I'll bring it to you."  
"Thank you," she smiled.   
Severus swept out of the great hall and down towards the dungeons to collect the potion. Both she and Remus stood and moved towards the staff quarters. Only teachers who were heads of their Houses slept in the same quarters as the students. Remus stopped to talk with Dumbledore and a twinge of hurt twisted inside of her. 'Of course he wouldn't want to be near you. After what you did, why would he?'  
She trudged up to the staff quarters.  
"Angel's Dust."  
The painting swung open, revealing the bedrooms. Severus was waiting there for her, holding a goblet of steaming liquid.  
"Here you go, Artemis. This will give you a dreamless sleep. It's nasty tasting, but does the trick."  
"Thank you, Severus," she hugged him, surprising him. "I'm glad I can count on you."  
He flustered, blushed and swept out of the room, not before glaring at Remus and snarling out "Lupin."  
Remus stared at her for a second before going into his room. She sighed and entered her own. She drank the potion quickly, wincing at its bitter taste. She immediately flicked her wand, causing the lights to go out and she soon entered a dreamless sleep.  



	2. First Day Blues

The Unicorn and the Wolf  
by Jennifer Allen  
  
"First Day Blues"  
  
Her muggle alarm clock went off at a quarter to seven. She resisted the urge to blast it across the room with her wand. She felt well rested, but surprisingly unfulfilled. Having a dreamless sleep could do that to a person. At least she didn't have the nightmares. Anything was better than having one of those and then not being able to sleep for the rest of the night.  
She stumbled into the staff bathroom and took a long warm shower to wake herself up. She let the water pelt her face as the last traces of sleep left her. She cast a drying spell and dressed in her teaching robes. Breakfast had already begun and classes started in less than an hour.  
Artemis grabbed her supplies and hurried down to the great hall for breakfast. Students and teachers were already eating. Remus and Minerva were having a discussion while Severus muttered something under his breath every time they laughed. She found a seat and quickly began scooping some eggs onto her plate. As she began eating, she started to think about what she was going to teach. She didn't even have time to prepare for the first day. How in the world was she going to teach her fifth year students when she had nothing? She wondered if Hagrid had anything in his hut that she could use. He was known as an avid lover of strange and unusual creatures. He even had a big wolfhound. 'Wolfhound? Oh no, I forgot about Fang!'  
Not touching the rest of her food, she hurried out of the great hall and down towards Hagrid's hut. Not too long after her leaving the table, a horrified shriek echoed in everyone's ears and when some people went to investigate, they had quite a sight. An over-enthusiastic Fang was dragging Artemis across the grounds.  
  
Harry Potter and his two best friends, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, made their way to Hagrid's hut for class. Care of Magical Creatures was one of the most interesting classes they had. It was also one of the two classes they shared with Malfoy and the other Slytherins. He missed Hagrid already and wondered if Professor Southerby would be a good instructor or not.   
"I bet she's as flaky as she looks," smirked Draco Malfoy. "This school is going through teachers faster than it goes through toilet paper. At least we don't have to deal with that blubbering git Hagrid."  
Hermione noticed the look in Harry's eyes and placed herself between him and Draco.  
"It's not worth it, Harry. Please, it's not worth it."  
Harry calmed a little and took Hermione's advice. If it weren't for her level-headedness, both he and Ron would be in detention more times than George and Fred Weasley put together. All because of one slimy, no-good Malfoy.  
"Welcome! Welcome! I hope you all had a good summer!"  
Draco snorted.  
Harry stared at his new teacher. She was just a head taller than he was and seemed too young to teach. There was something about her eyes, though. Her eyes held a lot of wisdom and pain in them. She met Harry's gaze for a second and continued to beacon everyone towards Hagrid's home.  
"I've heard so many interesting things from the Headmaster about what Hagrid has been teaching you!"  
"Yes, and just about every one of them almost killed us," sneered Draco.  
"Only because you don't know how to listen," muttered Ron.  
Professor Southerby proceeded to lead the students around Hagrid's hut and towards the open field. Some of the girls let out a tiny cry of surprise when they noticed what she had waiting for them.  
"It's a unicorn," cried Lavender.  
Sure enough, a male unicorn stood in the field waiting for the class.  
"How ever did you find him, Professor Southerby" asked Dean.  
"Fang took me on a long trip through the Forbidden Forest. I met him on my way back."  
"He's fabulous!"  
"We already saw the unicorn," complained Draco.  
The unicorn snorted and pawed the ground, obviously angered by Draco's attitude.  
"Neville Longbottom, come with me."  
Neville stammered and stared at her in shock. "I can't. Unicorns don't like boys."  
The unicorn seemed to find that amusing and turned its head towards Neville. He bobbed his head and strode confidently towards Neville and Professor Southerby. Neville clutched at Artemis' robes and stared in shock as the unicorn lowered his head at Neville.  
"Go on. He wants you to touch his horn."  
Neville gingerly reached out.  
"Careful! Longbottom has a nasty habit of breaking things," screamed Draco.  
Professor Southerby glared at Draco. "Mr. Malfoy, I would kindly appreciate it if you would keep your nasty comments to yourself. Go on, Neville."  
Neville gently touched the unicorn's horn. A small smile spread across Neville's face as he let his fingers glide across the circular grooves of the horn.  
"It's amazing, Professor. I never," he beamed, "never touched a unicorn before."  
She smiled and motioned for the other students to come forward and meet with the unicorn. Harry, Hermione, and Ron each stared at the creature in wonder. Harry let his fingers slide down the unicorn's silvery mane. The unicorn, however, refused to allow Draco and his goons near him. Ron murmured something about 'unicorns knowing evil when they see it.'  
Professor Southerby assigned the class a short report on the magical qualities of the unicorn and sent them on their way.   
"Professor Southerby?"  
"Hmmm?" Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville were all standing in front of her. Neville seemed extremely nervous and shy.  
"Professor, we were wondering why the unicorn let Neville and the rest of the guys to touch him," asked Hermione. "I always thought unicorns only let women touch them."  
"Oh, they do prefer women, Miss Granger. However," she smiled at Neville, "unicorns have a knack for telling who has a good heart."  
Neville blushed a bright red and stared down at his feet. He shuffled his feet and looked at the professor, who was gently stroking the unicorn's muzzle.  
"Anything else, Mr. Longbottom?"  
"N-no. Thank you."  
Harry and his friends turned to leave. As they were, Harry turned back and stared at her for a second. She was stroking the unicorn's muzzle. He wondered why she kept looking at him strangely. He was often told that he was famous for causing the downfall of Voldemort, but it seemed like more. She never asked him who he was and didn't make a fuss about 'Harry Potter'. She treated him just as she had treated everyone else. But there was something in her eyes. Sadness? He didn't know.  
  
She watched Harry leave and felt a twinge of hurt deep inside. Her mind flashed back to the day that Lily and James were buried.   
It starting to rain as their coffin was lowered. It seemed fitting that Lily and James be buried in the same coffin, side-by-side. It was the same size as a normal coffin but when opened, was a lot roomier. James' hand covered Lily's. So many people were present to bid farewell to the Potters. There were, of course, all the professors from Hogwarts, Severus Snape had made a brief appearance, the Weasleys with their six children, and the Ministry was there along with so many others. Remus stood next to her, holding a large black umbrella. They didn't say a word to each other...nothing. Word spread that Sirius Black had betrayed the Potters...that he was their Secret Keeper. It didn't seem right, to her. He would never...he couldn't...if it weren't for him and James, she'd be...she'd be...She collapsed onto her knees as the first handful of dirt was tossed onto the coffin.  
"It's all my fault! I should be the one in there! ME!"  
"Artemis," she heard someone say.  
"It's my fault they died!"  
She could feel several eyes on her. Tears streamed down her face. Remus was now looking at her. She couldn't stand it. She had to get out of there. She shakily stood and began to run, pushing her way past several mourners. Dumbledore, McGonagall, Remus, everyone watched her race away from the funeral. She vowed never to return to England again.  
But some promises can never be kept. The day the owl from Dumbledore arrived triggered the events of her return to England. The unicorn nudged her hand, reminding her that he was still present. Artemis smiled and led the unicorn towards Hagrid's hut.  
"We still have four more classes. I'm sorry to keep you so."  
The unicorn whinnied and bobbed its head.   
  
Harry's next class was one of his favorites: Defense Against the Dark Arts with a one Professor R.J. Lupin. Professor Lupin was a friend of James Potter, Harry's father. Remus Lupin, Moony his friends, was not an ordinary man. He was something much more dangerous, though, unlike others in his position, he tried to control it. He was a night creature...a werewolf. Every full moon, the wizard would transform into the wolf-like beast. Before coming to Hogwarts two years ago, very few people knew of Lupin's problem, but thanks to Professor Snape, everyone knew his secret. And the majority didn't care. They loved Lupin and welcomed him back, much to Snape's dismay.  
"Welcome to back, students. I trust you all had a good summer?"  
Everyone smiled and watched Professor Lupin eagerly. He smiled warmly and waved his wand. Writing began to form on the chalkboard:  
Darkness shrouds them...  
Blood feeds them...  
Eternally searching...  
Will you fall prey?  
Several 'oohs' and 'aahs' erupted from the students. Vampires had never been taught in DADA before and this was a real treat.   
"It's a known fact that vampires appear nightly. They primarily consume human blood but have been known to attack other animals."  
The lights in the room dimmed, causing some students to gasp.   
"They shroud themselves in darkness..."  
Remus slipped into the shadows, causing murmurs from the students.  
"They wait for an unsuspecting person..."  
Professor Lupin disappeared from sight.  
"Waiting...waiting..."  
His voice was almost soft and some students could barely hear him.  
"Then they," he grabbed Ron's shoulders, "POUNCE!"  
Ron screamed at the top of his lungs and the lights brightened. Several other students screamed along with Ron. Professor Lupin smiled widely and made his way back towards the front of the room. Neville was gasping for breath as were several others.  
"How does one know who is a vampire or not?"  
Hermione's hand shot up and the usual 'knowing twinkle' appeared in her eyes. Professor Lupin smiled.  
"Yes, Miss Granger?"  
"A vampire is extremely pale ("Like Malfoy," sniggered Ron.) and has fangs instead of canine teeth. They tend to look just like you and I but retreat from such objects as crosses and garlic."  
"Very good, 5 points to Gryffindor."  
Professor Lupin began explaining the many other ways of identifying vampires and how to deal with them. Everyone was paying close attention to Lupin's words and took notes. By the end of class, the students' heads were swimming with information and by the end of the day everyone just wanted to crawl to their rooms and sleep.  
  



	3. Of Elves and Minotaurs

The Unicorn and the Wolf  
by Jennifer Allen  
  
"Of Elves and Minotaurs"  
  
Remus woke and stretched his aching muscles. September's full moon had passed a few days ago and he still felt the strain the change caused on his body. He let out a big yawn, noting that some of his "other half's" habits were still lingering. His stomach let out a large growl, complaining about his missing dinner for two nights.  
As he walked towards the bathrooms, he stole a glance over towards Artemis' room. A loud beeping was emanating from within. An angry cry and something smashing into the wall soon followed. Artemis stumbled from the room, holding the remains of her alarm clock. Her hair was a mess and there were bags under her eyes. Remus stifled a snicker as she located a wastebasket and tossed the clock in. She muttered something about the evils of muggle technology before shooting a look at Remus.  
"Morning, Artemis. Sleep well?"  
Artemis muttered some more before shuffling into the women's side of the bathroom. Remus could have sworn that she said something along the lines of 'no one should be so cheerful at this hour.' He stole a glance into her room and frowned. The goblet still sat on the nightstand.   
'No wonder she's not Miss Sunshine.'  
He ran his fingers through his hair and strode into the men's side. A nice warm shower would definitely help his sore muscles.  
  
Artemis was late for breakfast. Remus noted that when she did come in and sit down, she looked like she had been running. Fang must have decided that walk meant to run and find every tree at Hogwarts.  
He noticed, with mild amusement, that Severus was trying the smooth his already slick hair. To his annoyance, she gave Snape a small smile and began filling her plate with food.  
"How'd you sleep last night, Artemis?"  
"Like the dead. Thank you."  
'Say it. Say it. Say it.'  
Remus shoveled some eggs into his mouth as he listened to their conversation.  
"I'll have another goblet ready for you tonight."  
'Say it. For the love of God, say it!'  
"Thank you, Severus..."  
'Are you going to just sit there and do nothing?'  
Remus began poking at his sausage and stealing glances at the blonde next to Severus. He had to tell her that what she was doing wasn't good for her. He certainly wasn't going to obey his inner-voice and confront her in front of the entire school.  
'No. Later.'  
His gray eyes watched as Artemis stood and left for class. He sighed.   
  
The Gryffindors and Slytherins gathered around Hagrid's hut, waiting for Professor Southerby to begin class. Although Care of Magical Creatures was one of his favorite classes, Harry couldn't help but dread the second class in a row that the Gryffindors had with the Slytherins.   
Professor Southerby was later than usual to class. She seemed a little tired, but she made sure to smile when she saw her students. Draco and his cronies sneered as she walked up, carrying with her a bunch of scrolls.  
"What, no pretty horses today?"  
"Shut up, Malfoy," threatened Ron.  
"Class, I first want to return your reports. I'm sorry it took so long to grade them, but I am pleased with your research."  
She began handing the scrolls out. Low murmurs came from the students as they looked at their grades. Neville nearly fainted when he noticed the high marks on his paper. Ron poked Hermione as he looked at her score: above perfect.  
"Today, we're going to learn about elves."  
"Like house elves, professor?" asked Lavender.  
"No. Though house elves are related to elves, they are not the subjects of this class. The elves I'm talking about are usually forest dwellers. They are human-like in appearance, but tend to be slightly taller than most of us. Their ears are a little bit bigger than ours and instead of being round, they are pointed."  
She pulled out an old scroll and showed the class the picture.  
"Why are all those animals around him," asked Neville.  
"Elves have a great love of nature," she explained. "For centuries, animals have trusted elves for protection against hunters and themselves. Animals respect elves and will often listen to what the elf has to say."  
Hermione raised her hand earnestly, the "look" had appeared in her eyes. Harry smiled and shook his head while Ron sniggered.  
"Professor Southerby, if ALL animals listen," Hermione sucked in some air, "werewolves will listen to them too, since during that time of the month, they become animals."  
Sniggers erupted from the Slytherin class. Draco was smirking and whispering something to the other Slytherins.  
"Hermione, that was very observant. Yes, because they are animals, werewolves will listen to elves," she explained while noticing the smirks from some of the students. "No elf has ever been attacked by a werewolf, according to the record."  
"So, let me get this straight, Professor," sniggered Draco. "Elves speak to animals like muggles and some wizards speak to their dumb pets?"  
Artemis frowned at Draco's remark and pushed some of her long bangs out of her face. She sighed, some things never change and a Malfoy, like a leopard, cannot change its spots.  
"Professor, why is it that we haven't ever seen any elves," asked Harry.  
Artemis stared at the group sadly. Hermione looked like she had the answer, but for some reason chose not to speak.   
"Elves are a frail group. They do have long lives, longer than most wizards do but they are not immortal. Most elves now live in the forests, away from all types of human civilization. A few chose to live among the wizardry community under special circumstances. A few, the more liberal, even attended Hogwarts and became product members of our society. The last known full-blooded elf was seen a little over 30-years-ago. Voldemort killed him after he refused to join him. After that, no elf has been seen. They all went into hiding."  
The class remained silent, staring in disbelief. Killed? No one, not even magical creatures like unicorns and elves were safe. What was Voldemort up to when he tried recruiting elves?  
Professor Southerby began handing out slips of paper.  
"I have a special lesson in mind for November and I need you to get these permission slips signed and turned in before Halloween. Class dismissed." Artemis turned her attention to Neville, who waited along with his friends for the Slytherins to leave. "Neville? You don't have to worry, I already sent a copy of the letter to your grandmother."  
Neville blushed and she smiled at him.   
"Thank you, Professor."  
  
Remus sat next to the window in his office. His fifth year Gryffindor class should be arriving soon. He stared out the window and watched as students in black robes crossed the field. His sharp eyes made out the tiny figures of Draco and his cronies stalking back towards the school. He looked past their retreating figures and noticed four figures that he instantly recognized. Harry and his friends were easy to recognize. Only one girl had hair as bushy as Hermione's. Only one boy had flaming red hair. Harry looked so much like his father that it was never difficult to recognize him. Finally the smallest was Neville, who seemed, by the way he was walking, to be excited about something. Remus smiled. He'd find out soon enough what they were so excited about.  
The students were already seated when Professor Lupin entered the room. He was very proud of his students. Even the worst of them always tried to do their best. His sharp hearing picked up some of the students' conversation.  
"...special class..."  
"...dangerous? How dangerous?"  
"Must be pretty dangerous. We have permission slips."  
Remus smiled and placed a small box onto the desk. He stared into their bright eyes and waited for one of them to inform him on what exactly was going on. Sure enough, Neville was the one who elaborated.  
"Professor Lupin! Look!" He held out his extra copy of the permission slip.  
Remus took the paper and stared down at it.  
  
'Attention Parents and Guardians,  
I am sure you are aware that the previous Care of Magical Creatures is on business. I am his replacement, Artemis Southerby. This November, I plan on teaching the students about a creature that is commonly taught about in DADA. That's where I see the fault. I believe that those stricken with the curse should not be outcast. That is why I wish to teach the students about and show them a werewolf. Please be aware that I have great experience dealing with many different species, including some werewolves. Your students will be thoroughly safe. I will be taking all the precautions. If have any questions, please do not hesitate to send an owl. Any student who does not attend the class will not be penalized in any way.  
Thank you,  
Artemis Southerby  
Care of Magical Creatures'  
  
Everyone stared at Remus, waiting for his reaction. He kept staring down at the letter in disbelief. 'What is she thinking?'  
"Good-afternoon class. Today we are learning about," he paused for dramatic effect, "Minotaurs."   
Everyone stared at him in disbelief. Minotaurs were said to be extremely dangerous beasts that were half-man and half-bull. Professor Lupin walked over to the box and opened it.   
"As you might know from Greek mythology, the minotaur was the son of a cow and King Minos, thus its name: Minotaur or Minos' bull. In order to protect his people from his son, Minos had a labyrinth built to house the beast. Every year, he'd have seven beautiful women and seven young men sent to his island from Athens where they met a horrible fate at the hands of the beast."  
He proceeded to pull out a tiny creature that stood no taller than 3-inches. The students could barely see him, but what they heard was unmistakable: the high-pitched angry snorts coming from the creature. Professor Lupin then waved his wand around the room. A bright flash of light erupted from the end of the wand and then nothing.  
"I have just cast a spell where the minotaur will think that from the chalkboard to the beginning of where your desks are is a room. There is nothing to worry about. He won't see nor hear you."  
Lupin lifted the tiny beast up and moved the desk away from any possible danger. He then pointed his wand at the creature, muttered "Engorgio" and it soon grew to its terrifying 8 feet in length.  
Harry and the others could now see the creature in all of its glory. Its thick, bulky body was covered in course fur, much like a bull. His arms were like tree trunks and he kept clenching his fists.   
"Kinda reminds you of Crabbe and Goyle, doesn't it," sniggered Ron, causing several other students, including Hermione to laugh.  
His face was very cow-like. His eyes were tiny and were at the moment glaring at Professor Lupin. Long, sharp horns protruded from his head. He proceeded to lower his head at Lupin and began pawing the ground, snorting.  
"Minotaurs are much like bullies," Lupin explained while keeping a close eye on the beast. "They enjoy hurting others but can easily be outsmarted."  
The beast charged at Remus and horrified screams echoed from the students. Remus easily dodged the lumbering beast, which recovered too slowly and bumped into the wall.   
"Speed and quick-wittedness beats power any day. I don't expect everyone to be as quick on his or her feet," he mentioned as the minotaur began running towards him again. "Stupify!"  
The minotaur stopped its attack and fell forward, stunned.  
"Now, who wants to fight the minotaur?"  
The minotaur's beady eyes widened when it came to the realization that it was going to have a VERY bad day. The days of him mauling wizards and muggles were over...  
  
Remus summoned his courage after dinner and followed Artemis closely. His robes swept around him as he walked quickly behind her. He looked at the back of her head and watched with amusement as more blonde hairs slipped from the bun.  
"Artemis?"  
She took a quick glance over her shoulder and began walking faster.  
"Artemis, wait!" Remus picked up the pace and hurried after her. He caught her wrist and spun her around to face him.  
"Let go. That hurts." She glared at him with her dark blue eyes.  
"I'm sorry," he loosened his grip. "I really wanted to talk to you. Why are you avoiding me?"  
"Avoiding? Why do you think I am avoiding you," she questioned.  
"I haven't seen you in 14-years and when I finally do get to see you and have a chance to talk to you, you avoid me."  
She stared at him, the glare softening. A soft "sorry" escaped her lips.   
"Artemis," his hands touched her shoulders, "what is wrong? Why can't you sleep without that potion?"  
"Remus, please. I don't want to talk about it," she turned. "Please."  
He stood quietly for a moment, watching her hurry to the teacher's quarters. He could have sworn that she was about to cry.   
"Artemis, why won't you tell me?"  
  
Artemis curled up onto her bed and began to cry. She hadn't cried about what happened between her and Remus since the day she left. She buried her head into the pillow and choked down a sob.  
'Why is it so hard? Why?'  
A knock interrupted her and she heard Severus' voice.  
"Artemis? Are you okay? I brought your potion."  
She wiped her tears and put on her night robe. When she opened the door, Severus was standing there. The goblet with her sleep potion was in his right hand.  
"Thank you Severus."  
"Is everything alright?" He stared at her slightly puffy face and her still tear-stained cheeks.  
"I'm fine. Just really tired. I'll talk to you tomorrow."  
"Good-night, Artemis."  
She threw her arms around Snape and gave him a hug. He began to turn a bright shade of red.  
"Thank you, Severus."  
"For what?"  
"For being a good friend." She released him from the hug.  
Severus stammered, gave her the potion and backed up. "Right...um...I'll see you in the morning? G-good-night."  
She smiled sadly and looked over at Remus' room. The soft glow of a candle could be seen from under the door. 'Remus.'  
She stared down at the goblet. Her mind reeling. 'What can it hurt?'  
She placed the goblet on the floor next to her room. Removing her robe, she crawled into her bed, flipped her tear-stained pillow and flicked her wand to turn out the lights. She lay her head on the pillow and stared up at the dark ceiling.  
'Why are you so willing to speak to me, Remus? I don't deserve you.'  
She shut her eyes and for the first time since she could remember, entered into the realm of dreams.   



	4. Sleep and Encounters

The Unicorn and the Wolf  
by Jennifer Allen  
  
"Sleep and Encounters"  
  
She was smiling. Her daddy would be home in a few minutes. She didn't like it when he worked late. Mom was in the kitchen making dinner.   
She was five again. Her hair was in pigtails and she was sitting on the steps next to the door, waiting for her father. She felt like she had been waiting forever when he arrived. When he opened the door, he looked directly at her and smiled.   
Mom called everyone to the table for dinner. Food appeared before her eyes. And why wouldn't it? Mom was a witch and dad was a wizard. She could smell the aroma. Her mom conjured up steaming plates of potatoes, beans and beef.   
Dad was a little upset during dinner. A little boy had been bitten by something and that the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures wanted to destroy the child.   
"They didn't hurt the boy, did they daddy?"  
Her dad stared at her. It could have been any child. The boy was the same age as his daughter. It could have been her up there.  
"No, sweetie-pie. Aurors Potter and Black helped me defend the boy. He's safe."  
Flash forward......  
"Mommy! Mommy! Look! The bunnies like me!"  
Artemis held onto two bunnies and smiled at her parents. For the first time since she could remember, they were on vacation. Granted they didn't go very far. They spent the entire day laughing and enjoying the day. Everyone was so happy. She pouted when it was time to leave. She couldn't take the bunnies with her.  
When they arrived home, dad started looking worried. She didn't understand. He told her and mom to stay in the muggle vehicle and wait for him. The house did look a lot darker than normal, but nothing seemed unusual to her young eyes. But dad seemed edgy when he looked at the house.  
"Daddy?"  
He pulled out his wand and slowly walked towards the house. His eyes darted left and right and his ears twitched, listening. He disappeared in the house.  
"Mommy, what's wrong?"  
Her mom was staring at the house; her hand was shaking slightly. Why was mom so scared? Who or what was in the house that scared both her parents so much? Artemis remained quiet and stared.   
A bang shook the silence, followed by another bang. A green light and blue light flashed inside the house. Mom stared in horror.  
"What's going on, Mommy?"  
A bright flash of green light lit the house and something crashed through the window. Blond hairs whipped around the falling figure before it slammed into the ground, motionless. Her mom screamed and opened the door to the vehicle. She raced over to the fallen figure.  
"Alander! ALANDER! Alander, please! Open your eyes! ALANDER!"  
A man with bright red eyes had left the house and was stalking towards her mom. "Such a pity. You could have made such a valuable member."  
He raised his wand and a light began to form at the tip. She was out of the car and running towards them. He looked right at her and sneered. She struggled to move away from him, but all of a sudden he was right in front of her. His cold and slender hands reached out towards her. She wanted to run and get away from this awful man but it felt like she was rooted to the ground. There was nothing she could do. He raised his wand and there was a bright flash of light...  
  
Artemis woke with a start. Sunlight streamed into the room, filling it with its soft, warm glow. She yawned and looked for her alarm clock but found it missing.  
"Great. I forgot...it's broken."  
She stretched and slid out of her bed, her feet finding the soft slippers on the floor. She grabbed some clean clothes and her robe from the closet and padded into the bathroom. She took her time getting ready. There were no classes today because it was a weekend. After her shower, she cast a drying spell and began brushing her hair.  
She heard someone stumble out of the room across from hers. She opened her door a crack and peeked out. She stifled a small giggle. Remus, who looked like the walking dead, stumbled over to the bathroom and cursed when his foot hit the side of the door.  
Now fully awake, Remus began hopping up and down on one foot. His face was twisted in a scowl of pain. He turned while hopping and stopped. He looked right at her then looked down at the full goblet on the floor. He smiled and hobbled into the bathroom.   
  
Traveling to Hogsmeade was a favorite treat for third year students and older. Hogsmeade had everything a teenager wanted: candy, pranks, fun and most of all, No Snape! Harry and his friends always found something at Hogsmeade to amuse them. At the moment, a certain black dog 'lovingly' called Snuffles was leading them to a cave just outside the town. There they met with Professor Lupin who had removed his boot to inspect his toe.  
"Morning."  
The dog grunted and began to shift into its true form. His short black fur disappeared and changed into robes. The dog's dark brown eyes were replaced with sparkling blue ones. Sirius Black stood in the place of the dog. His hair was long and pulled into a tight ponytail and a slight scowl marred features. He was scratching his arms and his back leg was twitching, a reaction from his canine self.  
"Hand me my wand. I think my other-self attracted fleas again."  
Remus smirked and handed Sirius his wand. Sirius muttered a spell and was bathed in a white light.   
"After all this years, Padfoot," Remus joked, "I would have thought you would have found a cure to your...predicament."  
"Can it, Moony," grinned Sirius. "If my memory serves me correctly, we had a hell of a time removing ticks from you one year."  
"I shudder at the memory."  
"So, what news does my favorite godson have? Do you have a girlfriend? Have you broken any hearts yet? Have you played a wonderful prank on that git Snape?"  
Remus sighed. It seemed like the old Sirius was finally returning. As much as he missed the happy-go-lucky Sirius, he hoped that he wouldn't fully return. If he did, then that meant that no one was safe from the prank king.  
"Well...I do have a permission slip I need you to sign. Our new Care of Magical Creatures professor is going to show us a werewolf."  
Harry handed the note to Sirius who looked at it and smirked at Remus.  
"Professor Southerby? Why Remus, why didn't you tell me that you were working with Artemis?" He nudged Remus who promptly turned red and tried to glare at Sirius. "Gee, I wonder who will be the werewolf featured in the lesson?"  
"So do I. I certainly know she hadn't asked me."  
"So, is she still hot?"  
"WHAT!?"  
"Yeah," smiled Ron. "She's very pretty!"  
"RON!"  
"What?"  
Hermione sighed along with Harry. Some people never change and from the way things were appearing, it seemed like it was only going to get more chaotic. Ron and Sirius were conversing about Professor Southerby and Remus was trying to ignore them and put his boot back on. Sirius laughed and handed Harry the signed slip.  
"Don't get yourself hurt, okay?"  
"Don't worry, I'm not about to."  
"So, Moony, have you and Artemis gotten back together yet?"  
Harry, Hermione and Ron stared in shock. "WHAT?"   
"Aww, you and Arty haven't, have you? Geeze, what's taking so long?"  
"You and Professor Southerby were an item?"  
"Were is the key word," murmured Remus.  
"Professor Lupin," questioned Hermione, "what happened between you two?"  
"Oh it was puppy love," grinned Sirius as he placed an arm around Remus.  
"Sirius..."  
"What?" Sirius smirked. "I'm was just going to tell them that when you were their age that..."  
"Sirius!"  
"Fine. Fine. Are you sure you don't have a tick lodged in your..."  
"SIRIUS!"  
Sirius sighed. 'Moony just isn't going to let me say a word while he is around. But that doesn't mean...Padfoot you really are a BAD dog.'  
  
Artemis walked down the dirt road at Hogsmeade. Her fingers toyed with the opal broach at the front of her robes. She had a bag on her arm containing something resembling a book.   
It had been so long since she had walked down this road. Teenagers laughing and giggling could be heard all about. She smiled when she remembered walking with Lily Evans (then).   
  
They stopped at every shop. At the candy store, they always bought sugar quills and Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. She could still remember the sauerkraut bean she encountered. It was awful. When the passed the prank shop, they could hear the Marauders inside, laughing and pointing out every new joke with mischievous glee. Severus was almost always the target of whatever jokes the Marauders chose. She and Lily didn't care. They were too busy trying to decide if brown meant chocolate, dirt or worse.   
  
Those were happier times. She stopped walking when she neared the Shrieking Shack. The villagers still claim that the house was haunted. She knew that to be a lie. Granted there were screams that echoed from the house on certain nights, but that was just a façade. She knew about the Shrieking Shack's hidden secret. It was a secret shared by a small few: Professor Dumbledore, Madame Pomfrey, the Marauders, Severus and herself. She was certain no one else knew the secret. She knew about Remus' secret after having witnessed it for herself. She could have been killed, she knew. But somehow, Remus never attacked. Perhaps it had to do with the three other animals with him at the time. She didn't know.   
She froze. Something didn't feel right. She spun around, trying to listen. Something was lurking around Hogsmeade. Her eyes darted towards all the dark corners. Where was it?   
"Professor? Professor Southerby? Are you okay?"  
She blinked and turned towards two of her students, Neville and Ginny.  
"You don't look so well, Professor. Are you okay?"  
She nodded. Her eyes darted towards the corners again. 'I know you're out there.'  
"I'm fine. Just a little tired. Are you two enjoying your day?"  
"Yes, ma'am. We've visited every store twice," chirped Ginny. "We got to see the new stuff my older brothers planned on selling."  
Fred and George Weasley. Those two were just like James and Sirius. She could tell by the twinkle in their eyes during class that they wanted to pull a prank. She hoped it would just be a simple dung bomb or something, nothing like what the Marauders pulled.  
"Really? I'd love to see what they've come up with. Can you show me?"   
"Sure, Professor." Neville and Ginny led Artemis to the prank shop. Artemis took one last look back, making sure that what she felt was nothing.  
  
George and Fred were sitting outside the store, staring at the bag of pranks, when Artemis, Ginny and Neville arrived. George and Fred brightened instantly.   
"Professor Southerby! Nice to see you!" They both chirped at once.  
Inwardly, she groaned. Something was up. She had heard that tone one too many times when Sirius and James tried using the 'nice act' before pulling a prank on Severus Snape.  
"What do you need, boys?"  
"Need? What do you mean, Professor?"  
"Come on, you don't think I'll fall for the innocent routine, do you?"  
She smiled inwardly. These two redheaded devils could charm almost anyone into falling into becoming the star of one of their pranks. She sighed.  
"Professor, all we wanted was to see if you wanted one of our cream desserts."  
Artemis looked over at Ginny and Neville who were furiously shaking their heads and making hand signals.  
"Okay."  
She noticed the looks the twins were giving each other before they handed her the cream. She opened her mouth and took a bite...POOF. A little yellow canary hovered where she stood for about 10 seconds before returning the recipient of the prank back to her normal form. George and Fred were sniggering as she plucked some tiny yellow feathers from her head. Some students had gathered to watch the prank take place. Both Ginny and Neville were horrified.  
"Nice prank, boys. What do you call this treat?"  
"Canary Creams."  
To everyone's surprise, she laughed. "I have seen so many different pranks in my life, but none as innocent looking as these. You have a good product here, boys." She leaned in close to the twins and whispered, "I think they would be even better if the canaries were different colors."  
George and Fred got that 'gleam' in their eyes as they processed the information. 'Colored canaries? Excellent.' They stared at her with respect. Ginny and Neville blinked in shock as Artemis knelt down and gathered the bag she dropped as a canary.  
"I'm heading back to Hogwarts. I'll see you all in class."  
Harry, Hermione and Ron arrived just a few minutes after Professor Southerby left. Ginny and Neville were still in mild shock.  
"Gin, are you okay," asked Ron.  
"Ron, you won't believe what George and Fred did."  
  
Remus sat on a rock while Sirius leaned against the cave's wall. Both were staring down at Hogsmeade. Sirius brushed some dark hair out of his face.  
"So, tell me why you and Artemis haven't gotten back together."  
Remus sighed. "You really aren't going to let up, are you?"  
"Who me?"  
"Why are you so interested in my love-life anyway?"  
"Moony?"  
"She hadn't really spoken to me since she arrived at Hogwarts. It wasn't until yesterday that she even acknowledged my existence."  
Sirius moved from the wall and placed a hand on Remus' shoulder.  
"She still feels guilty, doesn't she?"  
"We all do. Why does she think that she has to have the pains of guilt on just her shoulders?"  
"Why don't you ask her?"  
"I tried talking to her. I confronted her about her need of sleeping potion. Can you believe she had resorted to using a sleeping potion?"  
"Hey," Sirius smirked, "confrontation! I never knew you had it in you."  
"She dodged the subject," he mentioned, leaving out the part where she stopped using the potion last night.  
"Don't give up! Never give up! Did James and I give up when we became Animagi?" He purposefully left Peter out of the equation.  
"No."  
"Did we give up when we decided to create the Cheerleading spell?"  
"No, but I believe you were the one who did that."  
"Are you going to give up on your first love?"  
"..."  
"Come on! Say it!"  
"..."  
Sirius smiled. "If you don't say it, I'll find some way to meddle."  
"OKAY! Okay. Don't meddle, please don't meddle."  
"Good. I wasn't looking forward to making a public appearance."  
Remus smiled lightly. Friends like Sirius were rare.  
"Padfoot?"  
"Hmmm?"  
"Send me an owl any time, okay? We need more time to catch up."  
"Hey, don't give up on her. I know how you two were back then and I know you still have feelings for her. It can't hurt to try."  
"Padfoot?"  
"Yes, Moony?"  
"You need to use more of that muggle flea powder."  
"Funny. Very funny."  
  
  



	5. Tears of Regret

The Unicorn and the Wolf  
by Jennifer Allen  
  
"Tears of Regret"  
  
The owls came during dinner three days before Halloween. Snowy, horned, barn, screech, and more came flying into the great hall bearing notes and more. The majority of the owls were bringing letters to Professor Southerby. Some had the grim honor of delivering Howlers to disobedient students. Others had little tidbits from home for the first-years and older students.  
"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? DID WE SPEND MONEY ON YOUR ROBES FOR NOTHING? YOUR MOTHER IS QUITE UPSET WITH YOU! I AM UPSET WITH YOU! STRAIGHTEN UP YOUR ACT OR FACE THE CONSEQUENCES!"   
A terrified second-year stared in horror as the Howler continued screaming at him informing him that his mother was crying and that if one more notice from school came, he would never get to see a Quiddich match again.   
Artemis was lucky as she stared down at her letters. She had never received a Howler and was very glad that she hadn't received one today. She was receiving some inquiring stares from some of the other teachers. Dumbledore looked at her with shining eyes, as though he knew what was in the letters. She had asked his permission beforehand on teaching about and showing the class a werewolf. He had supported her idea fully. He even arranged a day for her students to be allowed out and at Hagrid's hut at a late hour. Though he supported her fully, he had warned her about what the parents might think. As she began opening the letters, she noted that he was right. The majority of the responses were negative.  
'No! I do NOT want my child anywhere near a werewolf.'  
'Out of the question! That is too dangerous!'  
'A werewolf? No. There is no way my child will be near that beast.'  
Out of all of her fifth year classes, only an eighth gave permission for her to allow the children to observe a werewolf. She was surprised that so many parents were so open-minded. Some parents had even sent her owls earlier asking what type of precautions she was taking and what the children could expect to learn. The only students from her Slytherin and Gryffindor class that would be attending were Hermione, Ron, Draco, Dean, Seamus, and Harry.  
Her biggest surprise came from a signed permission slip from Sirius Black. Harry Potter had turned the note in during class. She had been so startled when she saw the signature. Sirius was Harry's godfather and she knew he loved the boy like his own. She could never believe that Sirius betrayed the Potters. They were so close. He didn't seem like the type to sell out those that he cared about. He was a very caring and accepting person, though he hid that fact carefully under his mischievous persona. She knew that he had a good soul. He immediately accepted her as a part of the group.   
She looked over at Remus and caught him watching her. She gave him a curt nod. Friends...she wasn't sure when she became the Marauders' friend. It could have been when Lily befriended her. It could have been before that. She had known them since the day she was sorted into Gryffindor. She grew up with them and watched them play prank after prank on Severus. She cared deeply for them. Then she fell in love. She fell in love with one of the most popular boys in school. She liked him. She cared about him. She knew of his monthly absences. She had fallen in love with a teenage werewolf. She had dreams of a happy life with him. Her dream was to spend the rest of her life with him. That was before the incident. After that, she couldn't face him. She looked over at him again. He was looking slightly paler than usual. He smiled at her and she returned his smile with a small, weak one.   
She felt drained. Her day had been a long one, yet again. Stifling a yawn, she stood, gathered her letters and left. As she left, she looked back and noticed Severus give Remus a nervous look before getting up and leaving himself. Only one thing could make Severus nervous like that. The next full moon was in three days.  
  
Darkness surrounded her. She could hear something stalking closer to her. She knew who it was and what he wanted. Shadows surrounded her. She felt so cold and alone. She wanted to scream and run, but it felt like her feet were glued to the ground. Artemis stared right at him. For a man old enough to be her father, he was still quite young in appearance. Only a few age lines graced his cold features. His hair was pitch black and what scared her were his eyes. His eyes were a dark red, almost the color of freshly spilled blood.  
"Do you know how long I have been waiting?"  
Leave me alone. Please leave me alone. She wanted him to go away but he wouldn't.  
"Your father didn't see things my way. He was so stubborn. Even in death, he was stubborn."  
He tortured and killed her father without regret. He cast a spell and knocked her father through a window. He hit the ground and drew his last breath.  
"Your mudblood mother was too noisy. She just wouldn't stop screaming his name. She had to die, too."  
She glared at him and struggled to move. She was starting to cry. She finally found her voice.  
"I want you to leave me alone."  
"I can't do that. Your services are needed."  
"I said, 'leave me alone!'"  
"I'm sure you will soon see things my way." He pointed his wand at her. Artemis watched in horror as he uttered a spell: the Cruciatus Curse.  
Pain. Excruciating pain. Her entire body felt like it was being twisted apart. She screamed in agony and curled up into a fetal position. It didn't stop. He wouldn't stop. She screamed louder.  
"If you swear your loyalty to me, the pain will stop."  
"NO!"  
More pain. She wanted to die. She wanted to die and have the pain stop. She cried. She felt something within her break. She screamed.  
  
Artemis shot up, stifling a scream. Tearstains were clearly visible on her cheeks and her hair was wild and messy, with strands sticking to her face. The almost full moon shone into the room, illuminating her terrified face. She wished she had taken the sleep potion then. She knew that dream would come again. It always did. She leaned forward and put her hand on her forehead.   
"Why?"  
She choked back a sob. It hurt. It still hurt after all these years.   
She slid out of bed and pulled on a robe. She searched for her slippers and pushed them on her feet.   
Artemis walked into the bathroom and washed the tears off her face. She stared into the mirror and began pushing her messy hair back. She washed her face once more and left the bathroom.   
She stared over at her room. The sheets were in a tangled mess and her pillow was half off her bed. She didn't want to go back to sleep. Prior knowledge told her that if she did, the nightmare would come back. She walked over to the painting.  
"Angel's Dust."  
Leaving the staff room, she padded downstairs. A pair of golden eyes glared up at her from the bottom of the stairs. Mrs. Norris, Filch's scrawny snitch of a cat, swished her tail in annoyance as she watched the young Professor walk down the hall. Artemis had a way with animals, but Mrs. Norris wasn't an animal. That cat was a demon that hated everyone and everything save Filch. A small part of her was sorely tempted to ignore her love of animals and kick that cat across the hall. She wondered how far the cat would fly.  
A small smirk spread across her face as she imagined the cat flying high in the air and past the stairs leading to the Gryffindor tower. Mrs. Norris, noticing the smirk, flicked her tail and stalked off to find someone to rat on.  
Relieved that the cat had left, Artemis made her way down to the kitchens. As she reached the wall leading to the kitchens, she noticed a large painting of fruit guarding the door.   
"Tickle the green pear."  
She let out a shriek and spun around. Standing behind her and leaning against the wall was Remus. He looked like he was having a hard night as well. He looked pale and tired, but aside from that he was smiling.  
"Remus! You scared me!"  
"I'm sorry," he laughed. "You should have seen the look on your face."  
"Funny, and here I thought that you have finally grown out of the prankster phase," she muttered as she began tickling the pear. "What are you doing up at this hour, anyway?"  
The painting swung open, revealing the kitchen. Tiny house elves scampered about. House elves of all shapes and sizes, wearing the most ridiculous looking pieces of clothing, were busy cooking and cleaning. Some stopped what they were doing to stare at their midnight visitors.  
"I couldn't sleep, Artemis. From the looks of it, neither could you. Nightmares?"  
She nodded and entered the kitchen. Remus followed her in and smiled when one of the elves came skidding to a halt next to him.   
"Mister Lupin, sir. What can we get you and the lady?"  
Remus smiled at the elf. "How about some milk and cookies."  
"Milk and cookies, sir? Right away!"  
The little elf scampered off to make some cookies and get milk for the two professors.  
Artemis felt like there were a bunch of eyes watching her. She felt very uneasy. All of the house elves were looking at her curiously but none came up to talk to her.   
"Come on, Artemis. Let's wait over here for our food."  
She nodded and followed Remus over to a small table. He sat in front of her, watching her with stormy eyes. They both sat there, looking at each other without speaking. Both were too afraid to say a word. She swallowed a lump in her throat. It was getting a little weird.  
"So. There's a full moon on Halloween. Are you going to your usual spot?"  
"No. Severus has been kind enough to brew the wolfsbane potion for me. I'm going to lock myself in my office and sleep through the transformation."  
"Oh."  
Silence. The elf that took Remus' order returned with a plate full of chocolate chip cookies and two glasses of milk. Remus smiled and thanked the elf. The house elf left, but not before looking at Artemis with its large eyes. She knew why they looked. She had been receiving strange stares from creatures like house elves and fairies her entire life.   
They began eating the cookies and drinking the milk in silence. Neither of them looked at the other. Before they knew it, the cookies and milk were gone and the house elves had cleaned up the mess.   
Remus turned his attention to the blonde sitting in front of him. The nagging question had returned.   
"Artemis. I want to know something. Please be truthful with me."  
"What do you want to know," she asked as she stared down at the table.  
"Why did you break up with me?"  
She stared at him startled. "What? I...I can't..."  
"Please? I never understood. Was it something I said? Something I did? What?"  
She stared down at the table again. She felt like someone or something had grabbed her heart and began to squeeze. It almost felt like her heart stopped when he asked the question.  
"You...you wouldn't understand," she whispered. A tear slipped from her eye and down her cheek.  
He reached over and gently wiped it away. She stared into his eyes, shocked at his touch. Before either of them knew what happened, she had started to cry.  
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry. I'm sorry they're dead. I wish it were me. It should have been me! I'm so sorry."  
He stared at her in horror. He knew that she had blamed herself for what happened, but not to this extent. He stood up and walked over to her. Strong arms encircled her and she continued to sob.  
"Artemis. Arty, it's not your fault. It was never your fault."  
"It was! I should have known 'he' was waiting for me. I should have known it was a trap! I wish..."  
He hugged her tightly and began to rock her. She sobbed into his robe.  
"It's not your fault that James and Lily died. James would never want you to blame yourself for his death. He was an Auror. Voldemort would have come after him sooner or later."  
"But...if I...I..."  
"Shhh...don't cry. I hate to see you cry."  
"But..."  
"Is that why you wouldn't talk to me?"  
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left you," she sobbed. "I thought you wouldn't want to be with me if you knew."  
"Knew what?"  
She pulled back and stared directly at him. Her cheeks were red, tear stained and puffy from crying. He reached out and pushed a loose strand of hair from her face.  
"I can never give you what you want. That day...that day a part of me died."  
"Give me what I want? What are you talking about?"  
She bowed her head. Tears slid down her face. She felt pain deep inside her.  
"I...can...can't have children."  
He stared at her in shock. That was why. All those years. All those years, she had thought he wanted children when all he ever wanted was her.   
Remus placed a hand under her chin and lifted her face to meet his.  
"I don't need children. I am surrounded by children. All I have ever wanted... All that I have ever needed was you."  
Her deep blue eyes widened, tears still sliding down. She lunged forward and wrapped her arms around him and cried. He knelt on the ground next to her and let her cry. He let her cry about the night she was tortured. He let her cry about Lily and James. He let her cry until she could cry no more.  
After thanking the elves, they left. Artemis was wiped out from crying. Remus had an arm around her to support her. None of them said a word as they walked back to the staff quarters. He uttered the password and walked Artemis to her room.  
"Artemis," he whispered. "If you ever need to talk, anything. Please don't hesitate."  
She smiled and wrapped her arms around him. He stood there, holding her, before she released him.  
"Remus, thank you. Thank you for everything."  
She quickly planted a kiss on his cheek and retreated into her room and closed the door.  
Remus stood, his hand touching his cheek. He felt like he was 16 again and that he had the world at his fingertips. He barely noticed that he had turned around and began walking back to his room. He pulled off his robe and kicked his slippers across the room. Almost zombie-like, he slid into his bed and pulled the sheets up to his neck. She had kissed him. She actually kissed him. He missed those lips. He smiled and closed his eyes. The last thought in his head before sleep took over was of her.  
  
The moon shone brightly outside. It would be full in two days...Halloween.  
  



	6. Halloween

The Unicorn and the Wolf  
by Jennifer Allen  
  
"Halloween"  
  
Severus Snape, the most feared and hated professor at Hogwarts, scowled down at his cauldron. He was the potions teacher. He was an expert at brewing the most complex and dangerous potions in the wizarding world. In his eyes, he could have anyone eating out of the palm of is hand. His students cowered before his might. He was mighty proud that he had caused several first-years to revert back to bed-wetting.   
He should have been happy. His crush had returned to Hogwarts. He remembered when he first saw her. He would have done almost anything for her. He would have begged Professor Dumbledore to admit him into Gryffindor if she would have just said the word. He remembered how tiny and frail looking she was when they first met. He adored her. No one would have thought that he, Severus Snape, had a heart. If they did, they probably thought it was a shriveled black prune. But he did have a heart and it was broken when she fell in love with one of his enemies. An enemy who still found a way to humiliate him. An enemy that he was currently brewing a potion for, wolfsbane.  
He hated Remus Lupin with a passion. Severus frowned. He should have been the one to comfort her. He should have been the one to brighten her day. He should have been the one to rescue her.   
'Lupin should be grateful that I'm gracious enough to make this for him.'  
He stared down at the steaming liquid. He could easily poison the potion, that would get rid of Remus Lupin once and for all. He could do anything to the potion that would cause Lupin a great deal of suffering. But he wouldn't. No matter how much it might tempt him, Severus Snape had a sense of honor when it came to important details like brewing potions and not revealing certain secrets.  
  
Artemis watched her class with fascination. She had brought some fairies and a potted plant to class. She showed the class where on a plant to find fairy eggs as well as how to tell if a fairy were nearby.   
Lavender and Parvati were fingering the leaves of the plant. Lavender waved her wand, uttering 'Lumos,' which revealed a series of thin silvery lines on the leaf's surface.   
Hermione was giggling as a couple of fairies began braiding her hair. They were glowing a bright purple around the brilliant Gryffindor. Every once in a while, one of the little glowing fairies would tug on her hair, telling Hermione that she was moving too much.  
Every fairy glowed differently around the students. The ones around Ron were glowing red, but he swore that they were teasing him by glowing maroon. Harry had a blue one sitting in his hand. Draco was having a glaring match with a feisty yellow fairy, he was determined not to lose like those two blundering idiots Crabbe and Goyle. And Neville was trying to retrieve Trevor from a couple of playful green fairies. They were all so quiet. There wasn't any of the bickering between the houses. There were not snide remarks made at the expense of another. Maybe it was because today was Halloween. Maybe it was the fairies. Maybe hell had frozen over and Gryffindor and Slytherin called a truce. Whatever it was, she liked it. A lot.   
A couple of fairies glided over to her, their translucent wings beating at a rapid pace, and hovered in front of her. One giggled and spun upside-down and blinked. The other wiggled her ears and began pulling Artemis'.  
"That's weird," Hermione whispered to Ron and Harry.  
"What's weird?"  
"Those fairies near Professor Southerby."  
"What about them," asked Harry.  
"I thought that sprites and pixies were the playful ones. Why are they pulling her ears?"  
The trio stared at Professor Southerby. She was smiling and trying to get the two fairies to stop tugging at her ears.  
"Strange," muttered Ron. "Arrgh. Maroon. Stop being maroon!"  
Ron glared at the fairies, which stuck their tongues out at him and began to glow brighter. The fairies sniggered at Ron before joining the two hovering around Professor Southerby. Soon all the fairies joined the Professor, including the ones playing with Trevor.  
"Put the frog down."  
The two fairies playing with Trevor squeaked unhappily and dropped the terrified frog into Neville's hands. Trevor shivered as Neville plopped the amphibian into a pocket.  
"Class, I want a scroll on the differences between fairies and sprites." At hearing the word sprites, the fairies began squeaking and crying in protest. Some didn't want the attention being given to them from the students to stop. Others had taken a shine to the fifth-years. And a few hated the fact that they had to share parchment space with a sprite.   
"Class dismissed."  
Everyone, save Neville left for their other classes. Neville shuffled his feet. Even now, he was still a little nervous around Professor Southerby. His little frog, Trevor, shuddered when it peeked out of Neville's pocket and glanced up at the fairies.  
"Professor? Did...did you..."  
"Yes, Neville. It was almost late, but your grandmother sent the permission slip back. You can come."  
Neville's face lit up and his eyes sparkled. He thanked her repeatedly before turning to race back to the castle.  
"Neville?" He stopped. "Your grandmother asked me plenty of questions about the class. She cares greatly for you. Why don't you send her an owl?"  
"Yes, ma'am. Thank you!"  
Neville turned to race back to the castle, but not before tripping over his robes and causing Trevor to slip out and hop off towards the school.  
"Trevor!"  
Artemis smiled. Neville was a good kid; he just needed more confidence. She hoped that the DADA class would help. The boy had some issues that even she couldn't help.   
  
Remus felt terrible. No, scratch that. He felt horrible. He felt like he had gotten into a fight with Sirius and lost. He felt like he got into a fight with Snape and lost. He groaned and let his head slide onto the desk with a dull thump. He closed his eyes and tried to will the coming headache away. A tiny voice in his head, one that he had heard every month since he began the transformations, sniggered at him and howled.   
'Shut up. Just shut up. Shut up.'  
His inner wolf was taunting him. The wolf was pointing out students whose throats he could rip. The wolf knew which student would have the sweetest taste. His inner wolf even wanted to bite Severus, who he figured would taste like old leather...old leather and grease.  
'Shut up.'  
The wolf taunted him some more. Perhaps he was more brazen because it was Halloween. Or perhaps it was because the one that the wolf called his mate was at Hogwarts. He didn't know. All he did know was that the wolf was starting to get annoying. He nearly lost his cool when he was teaching the seventh-year Slytherins. The urge to bite had risen, which amused the wolf greatly. He wondered what Sirius would say about quiet Moony wanting to latch his teeth onto someone's leg. The old Sirius probably would have cheered him on, especially if it were Snape. He figured the current Sirius would probably do the same.  
He was glad classes were over because his headache was starting to worsen. He needed some chocolate or some of those pills muggles used for headaches or something. He was almost desperate for relief. He looked outside and watched the last rays of sunlight disappear over the horizon. In a little bit, the moon would be out.   
Relief came for Lupin in the most unlikely of forms: Severus Snape.  
Snape had knocked on Lupin's office door and then let himself in. He had a smug smirk on his face as he looked at his rival. Remus was droopy and the dark circles under his eyes were becoming darker. Remus' stormy eyes, which were now starting to show hints of gold, stared hungrily at the potion in Snape's hand.   
"Well, Lupin. You don't look so well. Are you feeling alright," sneered Snape.  
Remus swallowed hard and stood to meet Severus. His legs wobbled as he took a step towards the snide potions professor.   
"Severus, what a pleasure it is to see you this evening."  
Severus handed Remus the potion, smirking.  
"I don't need to tell you the details. It tastes awful and if you don't drink it all, you will suffer the consequences."  
"Thank you, Severus."  
Snape stalked out of the room with a sweep of his dark robes. Remus set the potion on his desk and walked over to the door. He closed and locked it quickly. He then placed the key into a desk drawer. He had no need for anyone bothering him now...not when the time was so close. He grabbed the goblet containing the wolfsbane potion and quickly gulped it down, wincing at its bitter taste.   
Remus then looked out the window and watched the moon begin to rise. He was glad Snape was such a skilled potion maker. Hairs began to sprout on his chin. He quickly pushed his chair out from under his desk and took off his clothes, except for his boxers. He folded his robes and clothes neatly and set them on his desk next to a clean pair of boxers. He felt a jolt of pain shoot through his back and he felt his teeth begin sharpen. He winced as his bones began to twist. With over 30 years of suffering with the curse, he had learned to control his screaming. Unlike his days at Hogwarts when he spent his cursed hours at the Shrieking Shack, his wanderings had taught him that if he screamed, people would come and people would die. He controlled his pain just enough to keep from screaming. He would rather die than to hurt someone else. He heard a rip and soon found himself glaring with golden eyes at his tail. His hands soon twisted into paws. Tears of pain slid down his now lengthening face. More hair sprouted on his body and he soon found himself standing on all fours. With a stifled whine, the wolf replaced the teacher. The wolf let out a large yawn and paced the room, sniffing everything he could see. He was tempted to mark his territory, but controlled that urge. The pure gray wolf stared up at the moon and sighed before crawling under the desk. Snape was an expert potion maker alright. The wolf curled up on the blankets his human self had set up. He yawned again and closed his eyes and slept. He was comforted in his dreams by his mate, who was smiling and laughing. She was with his friends and they were all having a good time. He ran to join them.  
  
Artemis tensed as she looked at the bright orb in the sky. Remus was locked up and alone on Halloween. She wanted to spend Halloween with him. She wanted him to sit next to her and talk. She glanced over at the Gryffindor table and smiled. Harry was laughing and talking up a storm with his friends. Neville kept glancing over at the Slytherin table. Draco smirked and glared at Neville. She could hear a little of what Draco was saying to his friends and she did not like it.  
"Stupid git. If it weren't for Potty, Weasle and mudblood, he'd be long gone from here."  
Artemis remembered that when she was a few years younger than Neville, she was afraid of the Slytherins too. They were all terribly mean to her, all except for Severus. She had a rather nasty memory of meeting Lucius Malfoy and his gang in a dark hall and ending up the victim of their hatred for those not from a pure blooded wizard family.   
  
She was twelve and rather tiny. Everyone seemed taller than her, even some of the first-years. She was hurrying down the hall towards the great hall for dinner. She was always late. She hadn't been paying attention when something, namely Peeves, tripped her and she was sent flying into someone. Unfortunately for Artemis, this person did not take kindly to her accident.  
"So, freak...did you think it was funny to knock into me," Lucius snarled. His two goons, Crabbe and Goyle, blocked her from leaving.  
"I'm sorry. I tripped. I didn't..."  
"Sorry isn't good enough. You have to pay for what you did," he sneered.  
Artemis cringed. She wanted to run but there was no where else to go. Lucius' friends were by far bigger than she was and with them blocking her way, she had no where to run. She wanted to cry but didn't.  
"You are a Gryffindor and not of a pure wizarding family. You are lower than dirt. STUPIFY!"  
She fell to the ground and knew nothing.  
When she did wake up, she was very disoriented. She was swaying back and forth. When she then noticed that she was tied up and gagged. To her horror, Malfoy and his goons had found a way to tie her to the ceiling and left her dangling. She cried and tried to scream.   
No one noticed she that she hadn't arrived for dinner. She had spent the entire night stuck up on the ceiling, dangling. She wept and watched her tears hit the floor below. She wondered if anyone would notice. She wondered if anyone would care. She felt so invisible.  
"ARTEMIS! ARTEMIS!"  
Artemis tried screaming as Lily Evans came running below her. Some boys and Professor McGonagall followed Lily. Artemis cried more and her tears hit Professor McGonagall's glasses. The Transfiguration professor looked up and her eyes narrowed. The boys and Lily stared up, too, and gasped. Artemis was crying and sniffling as McGonagall uttered a spell that caused Artemis' bindings to break and send the frightened girl floating towards the ground.  
  
Artemis stared up at the bats on the great hall's ceiling. She had been just like those bats, only her being upside-down was involuntary. She looked around, watching the happy faces of the children. Severus was sitting next to her, drinking some pumpkin juice. He seemed awfully smug at the moment. She knew exactly why he was happier than usual. With it being a full moon, Remus was forced to be locked in his office and away from everyone else.   
Artemis stared down at the cauldron cake sitting on her plate. She didn't know why she put it on her plate because she wasn't really hungry. She briefly paid attention to the chatter going on around her. Professor Sprout was talking to Minerva about how well the students were doing in Herbology. Madame Hooch, the Quiddich coach and flying teacher, was discussing brooms with Dumbledore. The students were talking about homework, Quiddich and relationships. All of this was extremely boring to her. Excusing herself, she left for the staff quarters.  
Artemis hurried into her room and shut the door. She stared out the window and up at the full moon. Her eyes wandered down to the Quiddich field. Two small figures wandered along the perfect grass. The first was short, fluffy looking and swayed a little when it walked. She knew by the animal's haughty sway that it was a cat. Its companion was a tall, dark and menacing creature. She squinted to get a better look at the animal. She had seen it before...in the Shrieking Shack when she was a teenager. It couldn't be him. Sirius wasn't crazy enough to come prowling around Hogwarts. The cat seemed to notice that they were being watched and quickly led the dog towards the Forbidden Forest. Artemis shook her head.   
'No. That can't be Sirius.'  
She ignored the cat and dog and got ready for bed. She needed to be up early in the morning.   
  
The wolf snored and rolled onto its side. He kicked his legs once in a while and his tail whapped the floor. Slowly, the wolf started to feel cold. His tail disappeared and his paws began to elongate into fingers. The wolf's long nose and pointed ears morphed into the face of a man in his 30s. The soft gray fur disappeared, leaving the man almost naked, with only the blanket that he had set down earlier to protect him from the elements. He lay curled up under his desk, snoring. He shivered a little before pulling the blanket up closer. A small voice in his head told him that his bed would be more comfortable than the floor at the moment, but he told the voice to sod off. He groaned and kicked one of his legs out from under the blanket. He was sore already. His throat was parched, a side effect of the potion. He forced himself to open his eyes.   
'Moony! Moony, it's time to wake up and go to bed!'  
Remus smirked. Sirius had thought he was clever when he said that. He found that phrase fairly amusing. He often poked Remus with his wand, trying to get him to wake up. And if that didn't work, cold water did.  
Remus crawled out from under the desk. The sun was beginning to rise when he changed into his clothes and unlocked the door. He sleepily stumbled out of his office and up to the staff quarters, where, upon entering his room, he collapsed onto his bed and went to sleep.   
  
  
  



	7. Life is Complicated

The Unicorn and the Wolf  
by Jennifer Allen  
  
"Life is Complicated"  
  
"Artemis, can I ask you a question?"  
Artemis reached over and grabbed a cookie off the plate. "Shoot."  
"Why did you choose to teach about werewolves? That subject is usually reserved for Defense Against the Dark Arts."  
"I believe that werewolves are magical creatures, too. It isn't their fault that they were bitten. I mean, you didn't just walk up to a werewolf when you were little and say 'bite me so I can become like you.' I think people need to open up and face the truth that werewolves, though they are dangerous, are creatures that need love and care like any other."  
She nibbled on her cookie. Remus found it humorous how she ate chocolate chip cookies. She always nibbled the cookie, avoiding the chocolate chips if at all possible. She would then eat the entire cookie when she couldn't avoid chocolate chips any longer.   
"Remus, I barely knew my father. He and my mother both died when I was only five. What I do remember about him was that he deeply cared about the state of werewolves. Before he died, he had defended a small boy who had been bitten by one. They had taken the boy to the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. If it hadn't been for my father and several of the more sympathetic Aurors, that boy would probably be dead."  
"I remember that case," Remus spoke while grabbing a cookie. "They were still scared, even back then. They said the boy was bitten by an unlicensed werewolf and was therefor a danger. If it hadn't been for the Aurors and your father, he could have been exterminated."   
Artemis stared into Remus' gray eyes. She loved that look he got when he spoke about something he was deeply interested in. When she was younger, she could just stare at him from a distance for hours. When he and his friends were discussing classes or new pranks, he almost had a glow around him.   
"Why do things have to become so complicated," she whispered. "Why can't people be more accepting?"  
He shrugged and popped the entire cookie into his mouth. His cheeks looked like a chipmunk's after stuffing nuts into his mouth. She began giggling and turned her head away to try and keep from laughing out loud.   
He blinked and stared at her, wondering why she was giggling. Remus quickly chewed the cookie and swallowed it. He smiled and wiped some crumbs from his face. A month ago, they rarely spoke to one another. It wasn't until a late night cookie craving broke the silence between them.  
"Complications makes life more interesting."  
Artemis laughed. Sirius would joke about finally corrupting Remus...Artemis stopped. Sirius. She could have sworn she saw Sirius on Halloween. She missed him dearly. He was always a brother to her, even though she did end up being a part of his pranks.  
"Remus?"  
"Hmmm?"  
"I know this sounds strange, but have you seen Sirius lately?"  
"Why do you ask?"  
"I could have sworn I saw a big black dog near Hogwarts on Halloween. I think it could have been Sirius."  
"No, I haven't seen Sirius lately," he remarked. It wasn't quite the truth nor was it a lie. It had been over a month since he had seen Padfoot.   
"So, have you found a werewolf yet?"  
"Yes. Do you remember that pack of werewolves in the Forbidden Forest? I'm going to speak to one and..."  
"Is that safe? I thought you were...well...going to ask me to help or something?"   
She smiled at him and stood up.  
"Remus, you have it hard enough as it is. That's what some of the students, namely the Slytherins, expect. They want to have another reason to disrespect you and I will not allow it."  
He stood and they both walked out of the kitchen.  
"You be careful, okay? Some of those werewolves in the Forbidden Forest have lost all of their human traits. They can be unpredictable."  
When they arrived at the staff quarters, she smiled and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Don't worry about me. You know me, I'll be fine."  
  
Then entire school was buzzing about one thing and one thing only. Today was the first Quiddich match of the year. The last tournament was two years ago. That year, the Gryffindor team had finally won the Quiddich Cup. Students were shuffling as quickly as they could towards the field. The first game was between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. People were sitting and holding up signs supporting the teams. Some people held up signs saying 'Remember Cedric' and 'In Loving Memory of Cedric.'  
Cedric Diggory was the Seeker for Hufflepuff. During Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts, Voldemort murdered the popular Hufflepuff Seeker for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Harry had carried Cedric's body with him back to Hogwarts via portkey.   
Artemis climbed onto a bleacher and sat down. She shivered slightly. It was cold outside and she had never liked the cold.   
"It's going to be an interesting game, don't you think, Artemis?"  
Artemis looked over at Professor McGonagall and nodded. Artemis looked around the stands and smiled when she recognized her students' faces. There was Neville, who was stumbling towards his seat. Hermione was sitting in front of her, watching the Gryffindor team's entrance. She spotted Draco and his goons sitting at the opposite end of the bleachers. Crabbe and Goyle were holding up signs that read 'Potter Stinks!'   
Artemis was so busy looking around the field that she didn't notice the seat next to hers become occupied. She had heard the crowd go wild and she soon found a bunch of people standing in front of her. She was a flash of red robes and a flash of blue. She stood and struggled to look past the multitudes of bodies. She still couldn't see past everyone. A part of her told her that she should just wait for the game to start, then she would see, but she had a stubborn side. Artemis climbed onto her seat and stretched out on her tiptoes to peek over everyone's heads. She caught a glimpse of the Gryffindor team. Donned in crimson robes and brooms in hand, the Gryffindor team walked confidently onto the Quiddich field.   
There were three Weasleys on the team this year: George, Fred and now Ron. The Weasley twins were well known for being Gryffindor's toughest Beaters. Some might even call them the human-bludgers. Ron ("Can't have the Gryffindor team be Weasley-less," said George.) was a Keeper, and according to the team's three chasers, he was pretty darn good. Ron was ecstatic about being on the team. Behind the Weasleys were Gryffindor's three Chasers: Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell, and Alicia Spinnet. The three girls were said to be the best in the school, but according to Lee Jordan, they are the best. The last member of the team Artemis saw was Harry Potter. Harry was quite famous at the school for being the youngest Seeker in a century. Artemis had never seen him play, but according to one of her students by the name of Colin Creevey, Harry had only missed catching the golden snitch once.  
The crowd began to sit down after the Ravenclaw team entered the field. Artemis was surprised to see Harry on the Quiddich team, even though his father had been on the team so long ago. There was a prickling at Artemis' neck and a sensation of cold swept over her. She tensed and turned her head. There, sitting under the bleachers across from her was a big, black dog.   
'Sirius?'  
It was looking directly at her before disappearing into a crowd.  
"Are you alright, Professor?"  
Startled, Artemis slipped. A pair of strong arms and a laugh greeted her. She went pink and glanced into Remus' face. His stormy eyes were twinkling with laughter. She noticed that they were getting looks, from both students and teachers. Quickly, she pulled herself away from Remus. Her face was still incredibly pink. She stared nervously down at her hands, but the prickling was still there.   
"Professor Southerby, you don't look so well. Are you okay," asked Hermione.  
"I'm fine. Pretty cold out here today, isn't it?" Hermione nodded.   
The sound of Madame Hooch blowing her whistle announced the start of the game. Everyone's attention was brought to the air where the Quiddich players were flying about on their brooms.   
It was amazing. Flashes of red and blue shot across the sky. Artemis had forgotten about the cold and paid extremely close attention to the game. Harry and Cho Chang were out searching for the snitch. The twins were causing havoc by slamming their bats into the bludgers and sending them careening towards the opposing team's chasers. Ron was doing wonderfully as the keeper. Then it happened. A flash of gold hovered near the ground. The crowd went silent with anticipation. Then both Harry and Cho performed a nose-dive towards the ground. Harry, being smaller and on a better broom, sped ahead of Ravenclaw's seeker and caught the snitch. A roar, starting out small and then growing larger, spread across the field. The game was over and Gryffindor had won. Both teams flew towards the ground and shook hands. Hermione and Neville dashed down to meet the Gryffindor team, mainly Ron and Harry. The Slytherins had already left the field, angry that Gryffindor had won. The game was over and Artemis couldn't feel happier. She stared over at Remus and felt her smile grow. Whatever that prickling was that she felt earlier was long gone.  
  
Remus couldn't help but worrying the day of Artemis' werewolf class. The full moon was that night and if anything went wrong, he'd be unable to help her or the class. He was tempted to ask Severus to watch over her, but didn't. He knew that if she had seen Padfoot on the school grounds, then that meant that he was keeping an eye on her. He had seen Sirius at the Quiddich game a couple nights ago and new that his fellow Marauder was still hanging around. Sirius had always been a big brother to Artemis. If there were something he could do about it, Sirius would rather die than to let anything happen to those he cared for. Ever since they were little, Sirius defended her. He had felt a little uneasy during the game. His inner wolf had told him that something was out there watching. Remus became a little distracted when Artemis fell on him, but he still felt on edge.  
He walked to the great hall to get something into his stomach before nightfall. He watched the students hurry to their seats and begin dishing up all types of food for lunch. He smiled as he watched Harry and his friends dish up their food. He could see them talking to one another about tonight's lesson. Neville looked over at Remus as he passed and waved enthusiastically. The boy was becoming more confident every day. Remus chuckled as he watched Neville's toad, Trevor, try to wiggle out of the boy's pocket.   
Remus noticed that Artemis wasn't at the table having dinner. She probably was out finding a werewolf. Severus was, however, waiting for Remus to arrive. His dark brown, almost black, eyes were drilling holes into Remus. The potion. He smiled at Severus and sat down.  
"I'm sure you know what SHE is doing, don't you Lupin?"  
"Severus, we've known her a long time. She does what she wants."  
"She's getting herself into trouble tonight, Lupin." Severus glared. "All to teach about a beast that should be taught in YOUR class."  
Remus flinched at the word 'beast.' When he was younger, he would have been greatly upset by having creatures like himself being called beasts. He just brushed it off.  
"Severus, you know her. She can take care of herself, especially against..."  
"I don't care. You should be teaching about your own kind."   
Both had stopped speaking. Snape cut into a piece of meat and began to chew it slowly. He glared at Remus, who was biting into a potato. Snape had a nervous twitch around Remus. It was starting to get dark outside and that meant only one thing to the Head of the Slytherin house: night of a full moon. Remus, on the other hand, was watching several students get up from their seats and leave the great hall. There weren't many students leaving. Those who were leaving included all four Weasleys, Harry, Hermione, Neville, and a few others.   
'The special class,' he thought. 'Artemis, I hope you know what you're doing.'  
Remus stood to leave but before he could go, Severus stopped him.  
"Lupin, your 'medicine' is in your office."  
"Thank you, Severus. Goodnight."  
"Lupin?" Remus turned. "If Artemis is harmed at all tonight, I swear you will suffer greatly."  
Remus nodded and walked towards his room. He could feel the moon. 'Severus, your feelings have never changed have they? You might hide it often, but you still have a heart.'  
  
That prickling feeling came back just before Artemis' students arrived for class. The moon was a bright golden color. A tan colored werewolf that she had located in the Forbidden Forest was pacing in a cage that she had 'borrowed' from Filch. Filch had asked if she was going to lock a student in the cage but she refused to tell him. The cage, though fairly old, was sturdy and kept the werewolf from escaping. Wolfsbane was placed around the cage as well as silver.  
"I'm sorry," she whispered to the wolf. "I can't let you out until after my class, okay? I have to protect my students."  
The werewolf stared at her with its amber eyes and sighed before pacing once again. Every once in a while, it would stop pacing and stare up at the moon and let out a mournful howl.   
The werewolf's howl greeted the small group of students who came for the lesson. Neville hid behind Harry and Ron after spotting the werewolf.  
"Good evening class. I am sure you are all prepared for tonight's lesson?"  
Slowly, as though they were unsure whether or not they should be there, the students nodded their heads. Even Draco Malfoy and his goons were nervous, as they should be. Werewolves were not something to toy around with.  
"Class, as you might have already guessed, this is a werewolf."  
Draco snorted, but said nothing else. The wolf narrowed his eyes and glared at the students. It let out a menacing growl and began to pace the cage.   
"Professor, where did you find him," asked Hermione.  
"Deep in the Forbidden Forest. This werewolf and his pack live in the forest. You often wonder why Dumbledore tells you not to enter the Forbidden Forest?" The wolf snarled and bared his teeth. Ginny cringed. "This werewolf and his pack are one of the reasons why the Forbidden Forest is just that," she smirked, "forbidden."  
Some students laughed at her joke and others were too scared to laugh. She proceeded to lead all her students towards the cage. The wolf snarled and sat on his haunches.   
"This is an unregistered werewolf. He is one of many who have been living in the forest for years. Can anyone tell me when the Werewolf Register began and who helped create it?"  
Only one hand shot up: Hermione.  
"Professor, the Werewolf Register was initiated in 1947 by Mr. Newt Scamander."  
"Very good, Miss Granger."  
"For many years, wizards and muggles suffering from this curse have been treated as outcasts because of their violent nature during the full moon."   
She walked over to the cage and picked up some of the Wolfsbane.  
"Neville, please tell me what this type of plant is?"  
Neville poked his head out from behind Ron and Harry and uttered, "Wolfsbane, Professor."  
She smiled and looked over at the wolf. His ears were twitching. Artemis watched the werewolf carefully. He seemed nervous about something. She felt a prickling at the base of her neck. She continued on with her lesson; teaching about how werewolves are killed, how a new potion called the Wolfsbane potion helps ease the need for human blood, and why werewolves should be respected and treated equally.   
Artemis couldn't help but feel that someone or something was watching her as she taught. After an hour of class, she dismissed the students.  
"Goodnight everyone! Thank you for participating! Ten points to Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin!"  
She sighed while watching everyone leave. Her eyes fell on the werewolf who was beginning to pace faster and more nervously.  
"What's wrong? Hmmm?"  
"Professor Southerby?"  
Three of her favorite students had returned. "Can I help you?"  
"Did you know that...um...Professor Lupin..."  
"Is a werewolf? Of course. I went to school with him."  
"So, that means you met my parents?"  
Artemis' face fell slightly. She didn't want to talk to Harry about his parents just yet. She nodded slowly.  
"Yes, I knew James and Lily. Lily was my roommate."  
"Professor? What...what were they like?"  
"Your mother was the most caring person I had ever met. She was my friend. Your father...your father sa..." Artemis stopped suddenly. The werewolf was beginning to whine nervously.   
"Professor Southerby, are you all right," asked Hermione.  
Artemis ignored her. The prickling was increasing. She heard something out there. Something was out there and coming near.  
"Professor?" Ron stared over at Harry and then to Hermione.  
Artemis' ears twitched. Hermione let out a gasp and stared at the professor's ears. They were pointed.  
"Harry. Ron," Hermione whispered. "She's...she's an elf!"  
  
  
  
  



	8. Snuffles and Trouble

The Unicorn and the Wolf  
by Jennifer Allen  
  
"Snuffles and Trouble"  
  
"Harry. Ron," Hermione whispered. "She's...she's an elf!"  
Both boys stared directly at Artemis. Whatever spell or charm she had used on her ears had disappeared and revealed her secret. She was standing with her back to them. The moonlight was highlighting her small frame. Her ears twitched again and she spun around towards the Forbidden Forest.  
"Professor Southerby?"  
The werewolf was hurling itself at the cage, trying to break free. Something was out there and it was coming closer. It had spooked the werewolf. She noticed a large dark shape begin moving closer towards them. It was running as fast as it could.  
"Harry, I need you, Ron and Hermione to get into Hagrid's house and lock yourselves in."  
"What? What's going on?"  
"DO IT NOW!"  
"But..."  
Before Artemis could reply, a large black dog had run up to them and stood in a defensive stance.  
"Snuffles," questioned Harry.  
Artemis eyed 'Snuffles' warily. She'd have to ask him about that nickname later.   
"Sirius, what is out there?"  
Harry and his friends gaped. They, Remus and Peter were the only ones who knew Sirius' secret, or so they had thought. Sirius changed into his human form, but his eyes were still in the direction of the Forbidden Forest.   
"What is going on, Professor? What is out there," asked Hermione.  
The werewolf howled loudly and began ramming the cage more.  
"I'll explain later. Please get into Hagrid's house."  
Hermione nodded and grabbed both Harry and Ron's hands. She then began to drag them into the house.  
"No! Hermione stop! What is going on?"  
Hermione shoved both boys into Hagrid's house and locked the door. Artemis could hear them arguing inside while Fang whimpered in the background. The werewolf was starting to panic and began trying to dig his way out. Sirius hadn't left his spot.  
"Sirius, do you have any idea what is out there?"  
"No. I know that whatever it is, it's big. I don't like."  
Artemis moved to stand next to Sirius. She had pulled out her wand and held it ready. She looked over at Sirius and watched his dark blue eyes scan their surroundings. She looked over at the werewolf who was still trying to escape.  
"Sirius, you need to change into Padfoot. I have to let that werewolf go," she said before shooting a meaningful glance at the occupants of Hagrid's house who were looking out a window. "Do not come out! The werewolf is going to be freed!"  
Harry nodded and watched Sirius change into a dog. Artemis hurried over to the cage, unlocked it and opened the door. The wolf raced out as quickly as it could, ignoring its need for human blood. It disappeared into the Forbidden Forest without a second glance back.  
A sudden chill fell over Padfoot and Artemis as two cloaked figures became visible. Padfoot began to growl menacingly. Two hooded figures stalked towards them. One of them seemed to be gliding and the other walked. Artemis heard Hermione cry out from inside the house.   
"Oh my god," she heard Hermione cry. "Dementors!"  
  
Remus was feeling terrible. His transformation was horrible and his wolf side still ached. His nerves were on edge. He ignored his pain and began pawing at the door. With the potion in his system, he was able to think clearly. He remembered that odd feeling he had felt while sitting with Artemis during the Quiddich match. He whined and lifted his head to howl. He wanted out. He needed out. Now. He dashed over to the window and stared out. It was impossible to jump out without killing himself. He was too high and the window was impervious to being broken...something he made sure of when he first started teaching at Hogwarts. Remus howled in frustration. There was nothing he could do, not like this. The only thing he could do was wait.   
  
Hermione had been only half-right. One of the cloaked figures was indeed a dementor. Its gray and crooked hand could be seen hidden in its robes. Artemis narrowed her eyes. The figure accompanying the dementor was by far worse than the dementor in that it was a person, a Death Eater. She glared at the Death Eater.   
She could see Padfoot getting angry, as well. He had every right to be. Sirius had never really gotten along with Death Eaters and dementors...with him having been an Auror and all. He had spent 12 long years in Azkaban prison, surrounded by the blasted dementors. The black dog growled loudly. His lip curled, baring his sharp white teeth. Artemis hoped that Sirius wouldn't do anything rash at the moment. Both the dementor and the Death Eater were dangerous and unpredictable.  
The dementor sucked in some air with a rasping gasp. Artemis suddenly felt very cold and felt like she was sinking. She took a step back to avoid the dementor. Padfoot put himself between her and their enemies.  
The dementor took in another rasping breath and both she and Sirius felt like they were falling. She closed her eyes for a second to try and gather herself. She noticed the black dog in front of her stumble. 'This isn't going to do at all. We have to drive that dementor back.'  
She tapped Padfoot on the back.  
"Go get help," she whispered. "We can't have anyone see you."  
The dog nodded and raced off. Her eyes never left the two advancing figures. The Death Eater pointed directly at her.  
"Come with us."  
She felt the pain again but she pushed it away. She glared angrily at both cloaked figures.  
"Like hell. I'd rather die than to go with you."  
She heard Harry's group gasp and silently willed them to be silent. The Death Eater was chuckling and fingering his wand.  
"You're still stubborn, but where has that gotten you," he laughed. "You are nothing more than a teacher for those brats. All your potential, wasted for a bunch of mudbloods and half breeds. If you had just joined with Lord Voldemort, you wouldn't have had to suffer that 'mishap.'"  
She felt herself burn up. The torture. The pain. Her inability to have children now was referred to as nothing more than a mishap? She blinked back tears of pain and anger. "HOW DARE YOU! HOW DARE YOU!"  
Her ears had flattened, like a cat's would when angered. Her eyes flashed and she gritted her teeth. She wanted to rip his head off and kick it into the Forbidden Forest.   
Without thinking, she lunged forward and began waling on the Death Eater. She slammed her hit and kicked him as hard as she could. Though small, she was quick and when she hit, she hit hard. She kept screaming at him in anger. Words such as 'git' and 'bloody bastard' were thrown at him. She was mad, extremely mad. She pulled back to strike him again, only to have her arm roughly grabbed. The Death Eater flung her off of him and pointed his wand at her. She could see his cold eyes glaring at her from behind his hood.   
"That was rather foolish, now wasn't it? You've haven't changed since we last met over 20 years ago. I'm sorry it has to be this way, but you just don't know when to quit."  
The dementor took a deep breath. Worthless...she suddenly felt cold again. She could barely hear the dementor taking in another breath. Images flashed in her mind. Her parents were dying in front of her as a man with blood-red eyes sneered at her. She was hanging upside down crying while no one noticed that she was gone...not even the boy she had considered to be her brother. She was alone once again. She heard laughing all around her and she wanted to shrink down and disappear. Then the pain came. She saw HIM again and he was hurting her. He kept laughing as she screamed. She was now screaming at the top of her lungs.   
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"   
She opened her eyes and stared in wonder as a silvery stag and dog appeared before her, driving the dementor back. She felt a pair of strong arms lift her up and pull her towards Hagrid's house. She watched the dementor take an uncertain step back. She was shaking and had curled up behind Sirius. The pain was lingering. She wanted to cry, it had hurt that badly.  
"Give me a reason, Death Eater," she heard Sirius snarl. "Give me a reason to kill you right here and now."  
She looked up at Sirius. She hadn't seen him that pissed off since that horrible night that Voldemort attacked her. His azure eyes were livid. Harry was standing next to Sirius; his wand was pointed directly at the Death Eater. Harry looked so much like James at that moment, right down to the glare.   
The dementor was being driven further away from the group by the dog and stag patronuses. The Death Eater glared at them. Ron and Hermione had decided to help Harry and Sirius and were standing next to both men with their wands drawn. The Death Eater snarled when he noticed several figures come running over from the castle.  
"Ah, I'm surprised to see you again, Sirius Black. I'm surprised that one such as you survived Azkaban," the Death Eater sneered while backing away. "This isn't over. I hope we meet again, Black. I'd love nothing more than to hear you beg for mercy."  
There was a bright flash of light and the Death Eater had disappeared. Sirius figured that he had probably used a temporary blinding spell and ran off to the Forbidden Forest.   
Artemis struggled to stand only to find herself back on the ground. She felt incredibly weak. Sirius knelt down next to her.  
"Don't, Arty. Just sit here and wait, okay?" Artemis just nodded and closed her eyes. She began to drift off. She could hear more voices around her, one of whom she vaguely recognized as Dumbledore. She didn't even feel herself being carried back to the castle.  
  
A bright ray of sunshine forced Artemis to open her eyes. She squinted and wondered why the sun had to be so bright. She immediately shot up with a tiny shriek.   
"I'm late for class!"   
She was about to jump out of bed and race to class when she heard someone chuckling. She spun and found herself staring right at Sirius.  
"What are you doing here?"  
"I'm hurt. You have bruised me with your words! How could you even ask such a question?" He placed his hand on his chest as though her words stabbed him in the heart. He stumbled around the room as though he were mortally wounded and grabbed the first person he could find, namely Madame Pomfrey. "Help me, she had killed me with her words."  
"Settle down, Mr. Black. I swear, you are just as bad now as you were during your years here."  
Sirius sat down and pouted.   
"Madame Pomfrey, why aren't you babying me like you used to?"  
"Because," the slightly plump nurse replied while placing a hand on Artemis' forehead, "you are a grown man and can take care of yourself."  
Sirius groaned and grabbed a chair. He pulled it up to where Artemis was lying and sat down. He smiled over at Artemis.  
"How are you feeling, Arty?"  
"I'm fmmpph." Artemis tried replying but Madame Pomfrey had shoved a piece of chocolate in her mouth. Artemis frowned at the taste and tried glaring at Poppy but the nurse just laughed.  
"It's the only way to get you to eat your chocolate. I remember what you were like as a girl."  
"Poppy, where's my chocolate? I'm sick!"  
"You've always been sick," someone laughed. Remus smiled over at Artemis and his best friend. He pulled up a chair and sat next to Sirius.   
"Why is everyone picking on me today?"  
Madame Pomfrey sighed and muttered something about too many people visiting her patients. She never had full control over her patients. She hurried off to check her stock of bandages and chocolate.  
"I need to get to class."   
"No, you don't. It's a weekend. No class."  
"Where is everybody?"  
"Well, today is a Hogsmeade day. Everyone that has permission is there."  
"Not everyone." Harry, Hermione and Ron had arrived and were now standing near her. Artemis could hear Madame Pomfrey complaining about her patients not getting enough rest with everyone coming and visiting.  
Artemis stared down at her hands. Her secret was out.  
"So, how many students know?"  
"Know what?"  
"That I'm an...well you know...an elf?"  
Sirius smiled and ruffled her hair like she was a little kid. "Oh, that. Of course everyone knows."  
"Professor, why did you keep that a secret from everyone?"  
Artemis frowned. She stared into her students' youthful faces. She had wanted to talk to Harry about his parents, but not like this. She turned to Sirius and Remus, trying to beg them for help. She could tell from the looks on their faces that she had to do it on her own.   
"Harry, when I was 20-years-old, your father and Sirius saved my life. Because of who I was, I had a little run-in with Voldemort." Ron shuddered at the sound of the name.  
"Why would he want you," asked Hermione.  
"I'm half elf and half witch. My father was a full-blooded elf and worked for the Ministry. I told you in class that animals, such as werewolves, trusted elves. If Voldemort had elves on his side, then he would have an influence over the animal kingdom. My father had gone to school with him, so Voldemort sought him out. My father was killed after he refused to join forces with him."  
"So, the elf you mentioned during class was your father."  
"I'm glad you remembered, Miss Granger," remarked Artemis. "Yes, that was my father. Voldemort killed my mother after killing my father. He was about to take me when the Aurors came. One was your grandfather, Harry. Another was Sirius' father."  
"So, You-Know-Who is after you because animals trust you," asked Ron.  
"Yes, and because I'm part elf, I can find their hiding places and convince them to choose sides."  
"And Voldemort tried to get you to join his side but was stopped by my dad and Sirius, right?"  
"Yes. I went into hiding after that. Your mother taught me a very useful charm that helped make my ears more muggle-like. They only change back when I'm extremely nervous or when something isn't right."  
She had purposefully left out the part where she was tortured by Voldemort and how because of it, she'd never have any children. She couldn't tell them that. It was too awkward. What would she say? 'I would probably have children your age right now, but I am now unable to produce children.' That didn't go over well with her.  
There was an awkward silence. No one wanted to speak. Sirius kept running his fingers through his shoulder-length black hair. Remus finally spoke up.  
"Harry, could you and the others leave us? We need to talk."  
"Talk about what," Harry asked. The look on Remus' face told him to drop it and leave. Harry turned and left, followed by Ron and Hermione.   
When the three teens were out of earshot, the three adults continued with the conversation.  
"Sirius has already told Dumbledore what happened," explained Remus.  
Artemis nodded. She really didn't want to talk to Dumbledore about the incident. She stared at the two men sitting near her bed.  
"So, whoever this Death Eater is, he used to go to school with us."  
"Well, that narrows it down to almost all of the Slytherins," muttered Sirius.  
"He sounded so familiar. I just can't place where I've heard his voice before."  
"Well, I know it wasn't Snape," laughed Sirius. "I know that voice anywhere. 'BLACK! I'm going to kill you!' 'Black, you're dead!'" All three laughed at Sirius' impersonation of Severus Snape. Remus had almost fallen out of his chair. He had forgotten how funny Sirius' Snape impression was.  
"We met him over 20-years-ago. There are so many people that we've met. He might not have been a student at Hogwarts. He could be anybody."  
"What do you say about us getting out of here and continue this conversation some other time, eh? I'm getting bloody bored and I definitely do not want to meet up with Snape," complained Sirius.  
"Me too, I hate hospitals," Artemis agreed. She slid out of the bed and grabbed her robes. "I'll be right back."  
She hurried off to another side of the hospital wing to change.  
"Sirius, will you be hanging around the area?"  
"Yeah, why?"  
"Last night, while I was a wolf, I felt whoever it was out there. Something about it didn't seem quite human."  
"It could have been the dementor."  
"It wasn't," replied Remus. "I have felt the essence of a dementor before while in my wolf form. No, this was something familiar yet frightening. I can't quite explain it..."  
"Can't explain what," asked Artemis, who had just returned from changing.  
Sirius grinned. "He can't explain why he found you so beautiful in those hospital pajamas."  
Remus went pink and glared daggers at Sirius. Sirius just laughed, feeling very much like he did as a teenager. Artemis blushed right up to the tips of her pointed ears and muttered something about boys never growing up. Sirius grabbed both hers and Remus' hands and dragged them out of the hospital.  
"Where do you think you're going," cried Madame Pomfrey.  
"SHOPPING! We're going shopping, Poppy my dead," exclaimed Sirius while dragging his friend and sister down the hall.  
"SIRIUS!"  
"Not now. We're almost to the witch. Remus, is anyone coming?"  
"No."  
"Good."  
Sirius tapped the witch's hump with his wand and uttered the magic words. He then dragged both through the cavern and towards a day of fun at Hogsmeade. Artemis couldn't help but smile. Sirius always had a way of making the most unhappy person happy...that is unless that unhappy person was Snape.  



End file.
